Evaluation of Six Night Vision Enhancement Systems: Qualitative and Quantitative Support for Intelligent Image Processing

Objective: An evaluation study was conducted to answer the question of which system properties of night vision enhancement systems (NVESs) provide a benefit for drivers without increasing their workload. Background: Different infrared sensor, image processing, and display technologies can be integrated into an NVES to support nighttime driving. Because each of these components has its specific strengths and weaknesses, careful testing is required to determine their best combination. Method: Six prototypical systems were assessed in two steps. First, a heuristic evaluation with experts from ergonomics, perception, and traffic psychology was conducted. It produced a broad overview of possible effects of system properties on driving. Based on these results, an experimental field study with 15 experienced drivers was performed. Criteria used to evaluate the development potential of the six prototypes were the usability dimensions of effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction (International Organization for Standardization, 1998). Results: Results showed that the intelligibility of information, the easiness with which obstacles could be located in the environment, and the position of the display presenting the output of the system were of crucial importance for the usability of the NVES and its acceptance. Conclusion: All relevant requirements are met best by NVESs that are positioned at an unobtrusive location and are equipped with functions for the automatic identification of objects and for event-based warnings. Application: These design recommendations and the presented approach to evaluate the systems can be directly incorporated into the development process of future NVESs.